Sample Ergonomics Program. Purpose. The purpose of this program is to effectively eliminate or control Work- related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WMSD) and hazards by providing management leadership and employee involvement in the identification and resolution of hazards and by providing training, medical management and evaluation as an on- going process.
Ergonomics encompasses the body of knowledge about physical abilities and limitations as well as other human characteristics that are relevant to job design. Ergonomic design is the application of this body of knowledge to the design of the workplace (i.
Good ergonomic design makes the most efficient use of worker capabilities while ensuring that job demands do not exceed those capabilities. Feed back from employees is an important means of identifying ergonomic hazards.
When an WMSD is identified, the Ergonomic Program Coordinator will provide a response and recommended action within 4. This shall be accomplished through safety and health committees, postings on employee bulletin boards and routine safety training meetings. Employee Participation: Employees (and their designated representative) will be provided: A way to report signs and symptoms of WMSDs and WMSD hazards, and to make recommendations about appropriate ways to control them. This program is available to all employees for review.
Attendees Will Learn To: Identify the critical elements of their site or company ergonomics improvement process; Establish a proactive leading goal for their company’s ergonomics program; Select metrics that will drive their.
Safety & Health Committees are the primary means of employee involvement in this area. Element 2: Hazard Identification and Information Identification. Hazard identification is accomplished by: Reports (written or verbal)WMSD of signs, symptoms hazards or control recommendations from employees and supervisors.
Review of existing safety & health records for WMSDs and WMSD hazards. Routine facility safety & health inspections by management and supervisors.
Employee Information. For those current and new employees in manufacturing operations, manual handling operations, and other jobs with WMSDs, the following information will be provided.: How to recognize the signs and symptoms of WMSDs, and the importance of early reporting of signs and symptoms. Hazards that are reasonably likely to be causing or contributing to WMSDs. How to report signs and symptoms of WMSDs and WMSD hazards, and make recommendations. Information Methods include, but are not limited to, information sheets, videotapes, or classes. If the cause is obvious, you may move directly to controlling the WMSD hazards without conducting all of the steps of job hazard analysis.
Learn how to implement and maintain an ergonomics process with this 10-step workplace ergonomics checklist. Sample Ergonomics Program Purpose. The purpose of this program is to effectively eliminate or control Work-related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WMSD) and hazards by providing management leadership and employee involvement in the. Office Chair Back Injuries. People who sit most of the day, such as those who work at a computer while sitting in an office chair, are also at high risk for non-accidental back injury. Office ergonomics, or computer ergonomics. Ergonomics is often written about and many dental professionals think they are practicing the concepts of ergonomics in their daily office activities.
This is called a similar job. You must expand your ergonomics program to include that job and those employees; (2) Ask those employees: Whether they are experiencing signs or symptoms of WMSDs; Whether they are having difficulties performing the physical work activities of the job, and Which physical work activities they associate with the problem; (3) Observe employees performing the job in order to identify job factors that need to be evaluated; and (4) Evaluate those job factors to determine which ones are reasonably likely to be causing or contributing to the problem. Interim control measures may be implemented, if practical, until permanent control measures are in place. The Control Measure Process involves: (1) Identification, evaluation and implementation of feasible control measures (interim and permanent) to control the WMSD hazards. This includes prioritizing the control of WMSD hazards, where necessary. Engineering controls are the physical changes to jobs that control exposure to WMSD hazards.
Engineering controls act on the source of the hazard and control employee exposure to the hazard without relying on the employee to take self- protective action or intervention. Examples of engineering controls for WMSD hazards include changing, modifying or redesigning the following: Workstations Tools Facilities Equipment Materials Processes (4) Work Practice Controls are controls that reduce the likelihood of exposure to WMSD hazards through alteration of the manner in which a job or physical work activities are performed. Work practice controls also act on the source of the hazard.
However, instead of physical changes to the workstation or equipment, the protection work practice controls provide is based upon the behavior of managers, supervisors and employees to follow proper work methods. Work practice controls include procedures for safe and proper work that are understood and followed by managers, supervisors and employees. Examples of work practice controls for WMSD hazards include: Safe and proper work techniques and procedures that are understood and followed by managers, supervisors and employees.
Examples of administrative controls for WMSD hazards include: Employee rotation Job task enlargement Adjustment of work pace (e. Redesign of work methods Alternative tasks Rest breaks (6) Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) may be used as an interim control, but will not be used as a permanent control where other controls are feasible. PPE used for this purpose will be provide it at no cost to employees. HCPs will be instructed not to reveal in the written opinion or in any other communication with you specific findings, diagnoses or information that is not related to WMSD hazards in the employee's job.
Number of employee reports and recommendations. Average time between employee reports and your response Length of time since the last review of safety and health records. Number of employees who have received ergonomics information. Number of jobs analyzed.
Number of jobs awaiting analysis. Number of employees interviewed for job analyses and remaining to be interviewed. Number of symptom surveys conducted. Number of jobs controlled. Number of job changes made. Number of employees trained and waiting to be trained.
Number of worker hours devoted to the ergonomics program. Annual expenditures on program and controls. Reported symptoms of WMSDs. WMSD incidence rates per job title. Number of workers' compensation claims. Number of lost- workdays WMSDs. Average lost workdays per WMSD.
Severity rate of WMSDs. Symptom survey results. Annual medical costs for WMSDs. Average medical costs per WMSD.
Annual workers' compensation costs. Average workers' compensation costs per WMSD. Number of job transfer requests per job title.
Employee absentee rates per job title. Annual employee turnover rates per job title. Element 7: Records. Written records of the program will be maintained if: (1) There is more than one worksite or establishment in which this job is performed by employees; OR (2) The job involves more than one level of supervision; OR (3) The job involves shift work. Examples of administrative controls for WMSD hazards include: Employee rotation Job task enlargement Adjustment of work pace (e. Redesign of work methods Alternative tasks Rest breaks.
Exercise programs (e. OSHA standard. Effectiveness measures are the indicators used to assess whether an ergonomics program and controls are successfully controlling WMSD hazards and reducing the number and severity of WMSDs. Effectiveness measures include both activity and outcome measures.
These measures are used to assess the functioning of the various activities in your program (e. Engineering controls act on the source of the hazard and control employee exposure to the hazard without relying on the employee to take self- protective action or intervention.
Examples of engineering controls for WMSD hazards include changing, modifying or redesigning the following: Workstations Tools Facilities Equipment Materials Processes Ergonomics is the science of fitting jobs to people. Ergonomics encompasses the body of knowledge about physical abilities and limitations as well as other human characteristics that are relevant to job design. Ergonomic design is the application of this body of knowledge to the design of the workplace (i. Good ergonomic design makes the most efficient use of worker capabilities while ensuring that job demands do not exceed those capabilities. This standard covers the following job factors: THIS PROGRAM COVERS THESE JOB FACTORSINCLUDING THESE COMPONENTS OF JOB FACTORSPhysical demands of the work tasks or job.
Force Repetition Work postures Duration Local contact stress Workstation layout and space. Work reaches Work heights Seating Floor surfaces Contact stress Equipment used and objects handled. Size and shape Weight and weight distribution Handles and grasp surfaces Vibration Environmental conditions.
Cold and heat Glare (as related to awkward postures) Work organization. Work- recovery cycles Work rate Task variability Known hazard means hazards in your workplace that you know are reasonably likely to cause or contribute to a WMSD. The following are known hazards covered by the OSHA ergonomic standard: WMSD hazards identified in insurance reports. WMSD hazards identified and communicated to you by HCPs. Accepted WMSD workers' compensation claims.
Manual handling operations are physical work activities meeting these criteria: (1) They involve lifting/lowering, pushing/pulling, or carrying; AND(2) They involve exertion of considerable force because the particular load is heavy OR the cumulative total of the loads during a workday is heavy (i. AND(3) These manual handling work activities are a significant part of the employee's regular job duties. Manufacturing production jobs involve working supervisors and all non- supervisory employees who engage in fabricating, processing, assembling, and other services closely associated with manufacturing production. In this standard, manufacturing operations are limited to those that meet these criteria: (1) They are performed in manufacturing industries; AND(2) They are production jobs performed by employees and their supervisors in those industries; AND(3) The production work activities are a significant part of the employee's regular job duties.